FEBRUARY 2010 NEWSLETTER

THE NATURAL PET HEALTH STORE
February 10, 2010

CHRONIC DEHYDRATION IN CAT’S

DID YOU KNOW, CAT’S THAT EAT DRY FOOD AS THEIR MAIN DIET HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF DEVELOPING URINARY TRACT ISSUES AND KIDNEY PROBLEMS?

CAT’S, UNLIKE DOG’S, DO NOT CONSUME LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE FACT IS: CAT’S AS A SPECIES, JUST DON’T DRINK A LOT OF WATER, PERIOD. SO, WHEN A CAT IS FED STRICTLY OR MAINLY A DRY DIET, THEIR BODIES TEND TO STAY SLIGHTLY DEHYRATED. THIS FORCES THE KIDNEYS AND BLADDER TO WORK HARDER TO RID ITSELF OF TOXINS FROM THE BODY.

A CAT THAT IS ALLOWED TO EAT RAW PREY (MICE, RODENTS, RABIBITS, ETC), A RAW DIET, COOKED DIET OR CANNED DIET HAS MORE WATER INTAKE VERSUS A DRY FED CAT. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT CAT’S RECEIVE ONLY ABOUT 10% WATER WHEN EATING A DRY DIET, WHEREAS A CAT GIVEN RAW PREY, RAW FOOD, COOKED OR CANNED INCREASE THEIR WATER CONSUMPTION TO 75-85% AND A CAT THAT WAS LIVING IN THE WILD WOULD ALSO HAVE A WATER INTAKE OF AROUND 75-85%.
THIS HIGHER WATER INTAKE HELPS KEEP THE KIDNEYS AND BLADDER FLUSHED OF
HARMFUL TOXINS AND KEEPS THE URNIARY TRACT HEALTHY.

IF YOUR CAT EATS MAINLY A DRY DIET, THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO INCREASE WATER CONSUMPTION ARE: SWITCHING HE/SHE TO A CANNED, COOKED OR RAW DIET, ADD EXTRA WATER TO THEIR DRY DIET, CONSIDER BUYING A FREE FLOWING WATER FOUNTAIN, AND KEEP MULTIPLE FRESH WATER BOWLS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE.

YOU MAY THINK…MY CAT EATS ONLY DRY FOOD AND I SEE HE/SHE DRINKING WATER REGULARLY?? THIS MAYBE THE CASE, BUT JUST CONSIDER THIS….IF YOUR CAT WERE GETTING THEIR REQUIRED 75-85% OF WATER INTAKE IN THEIR FOOD EACH DAY, THEN THEY ACTUALLY SHOULD BE DRINKING LESS WATER, BECAUSE THEIR BODIES ALREADY HAVE CONSUMED THEIR REQUIRED AMOUNTS IN THEIR DIETS.

THOUGH A WORD OF CAUTION: IF YOUR CAT IS DRINKING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF WATER (NO MATTER WHAT DIET THEY ARE EATING), PLEASE CONSIDER HAVING A THOROUGH PHYSCIAL EXAM AND POSSIBLY BLOODWORK AND URINALYSIS DONE. EXCESSIVE THIRST, URINATION COULD BE SIGNS OF A MORE SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE. OF COURSE, BEFORE BEGINNING ANY DIET CHANGE, CONSULT YOUR VETERINARIAN.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CHRONIC DEHYRATIOON IN CATS, CHECK OUT THESE SITES: WWW.CATINFO.ORG/ WWW.PROFESSORSHOUSE.COM/ WWW.CATSFROMAUSTALIA.COM
-TAMMY STARKEY (THE NATURAL PET HEALTH STORE)